Medicaid Financing of Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs

Quick Summary

Various funding streams—federal, state, local, and private—support home visiting programs Recently, in light of Medicaid's ability to reach so many low-income and at-risk families, interest has been growing in its potential to finance home visiting services for eligible mothers and children.

Inside the Report

The Pew Home Visiting Campaign engaged the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) to conduct a first-of-its-kind investigation into how states are using—or could use—Medicaid to finance home visiting services.

By The Numbers: In 2003, Medicaid financed approximately 1.7 million births, or 41 percent of all U.S. births.

NASHP conducted a literature review and a scan of state policies and practices nationwide to identify mechanisms for supporting home visiting services through Medicaid; prepared six case studies featuring different home visiting models and Medicaid financing methods; and facilitated a meeting at which state and federal government representatives and national home visiting experts discussed the benefits and challenges of Medicaid funding mechanisms.

Case Studies

These case studies include the history and rationale for using Medicaid, describe the services provided by the home visiting programs, and outline the provider requirements and Medicaid billing procedures used. We chose states with experiences representing a range of Medicaid financing mechanisms.

Illinois

Using Medicaid, the Illinois Department of Human Services is able to claim a 50 percent federal match rate for certain outreach and case management activities delivered through home visiting. Download the case study.

Kentucky

More than 90 percent of the mothers participating in Kentucky's home visiting program were eligible for Medicaid, a state analysis found. Download the case study.

Michigan

Through Michigan's Maternal and Infant Health Program, an initial assessment and up to nine professional visits per pregnancy are billable to Medicaid. Download the case study.

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